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Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information (FSA/OWI) Collection: Subject Index Information

Alphabetical Listing: A-E

This subject index presents the categories assigned in the 1940s to make it possible to browse the FSA/OWI photographs by what they depict. The Office of War Information used a decimal number classification scheme to organize the photos. This section of the list is arranged alphabetically by subject words taken from the heading cards in the FSA/OWI photographic print file, with a link that retrieves photos that are filed under the corresponding classification number. The categories and the words used to describe them are products of their era and have not been altered for this presentation.

  • The same classification number may appear multiple times under synonyms, variant words, or inverted headings; for example: .576 is listed under both "Oil Wells" and "Petroleum."
  • Not all numbers retrieve descriptions and images, either because the information has not yet been added to the description, or because the originating agency never applied the number to any photographs.
  • For more information, view the introduction to this list.

Click on the tabs below to explore FSA/OWI subject terms.

Topic Classification Number
Abandoned Buildings .2563
Abandoned Farms .1675
Abandoned Gold Mines .57339
Abandoned Houses .4178
Abandoned Mines .1444
Accessories, Clothes (Men) .3296
Accessories, Clothes (Women) .3396
Accommodations, Travelers' Hotels .527
Accommodations, Railroad, YMCA .52187
Accounting and Farm Planning .5486
Activities of Children .37
Administration, Meetings .6834
Adobe Houses .59627
Adobes .417
Adult Education .868
Adult Training Projects, Special .8683
Advertising, Stores .631
Advertising, War in, Comics, Etc. .7661
Aerial Views .59502
Agricultural Machinery .5484
Agricultural Migratory Workers .355
Agricultural Training .5487
Agriculture .53
Aid to the Blind .68486
Aid to the Poor .68478
Aid, in Disaster Emergency .686
Air Force, Aircraft Training .737
Air Raid Drill .761
Air Raid Wardens .7611
Air Transportation .524
Air, Civil Patrol .7603
Aircraft Engines .6275
Aircraft Industry .627
Aircraft, Air Force .737
Aircraft Assembling .6273
Aircraft, Testing and Checking .62745
Airfield Activities .76032
Airfields .7375
Airplane Spotting .7604
Airport Control, Communicating .5262
Airport, Buildings .5261
Airport, Ground Crews .5263
Airport, Tickets, Baggage, Etc. .52615
Airport, Training Maintenance and Ground Crews .52633
Airports .52633
Alarms, Fires .6563
Alaska, Aleutian Islands Alcan Highway .5922
Alcoholic Beverages, Wine .6083
Aliquippa, Pa (Industrial town) .25331
Aluminum .6211
America, Exhibit Image of .964273
American Legion .67921
Ampoule Preparations .616882
Amusement Park, Carnival, Midway .9086
Amusement Enterprises, Minor .90854
Animal-Drawn Vehicles .505
Animals .961
Animals, With Children .368
Antiques, Curios .6427
Apartment Houses .4145
Apples .534
Archeology, Caves, Ruins .1486
Architectural Details .419
Architecture .594
Architecture, Landscape .5984
Archives and Museums [includes Libraries] .87
Armed Forces .72
Armed Services .845
Armored Forces, Tanks .7352
Army, Salvation .8507
Art, Science, Education, Records, Press [General category] .86
Art, Folk Art .884
Artillery .734
Arts (Decorative), Arts and Crafts .886
Arts and Crafts, Decorative Art .886
Artwork by Children .3814
Arvin, California .68332
Assemblies, Schools .3762
Assembling Aircraft .6273
Assembly, Youth .9655
Assistance, Private and Government .68
Athena, Oregon .683322
Athletic Sports .3872
Auction, Fur .55875
Auctioning, Tobacco .537514
Auctions .644
Auto Industry .6254
Automobile Salesrooms [and storage] .64
Automobile, Accidents, Wrecks .5117
Automobile, Repairs on the Road .5116
Automobiles .51
Aviation Mechanics .685226
Axles and Wheels .62076
Topic Classification Number
B-17 Flying Fortress (see also Bombers) .73716 [recorded in the list as 73716-47, but only 73716 was ever assigned]
B-29 Super Fortress (see also Bombers) .73716 [recorded in the list as 73716-55, but only 73716 was ever assigned]
Bacteriology .8627
Bad Lands .149
Baggage Service .52045
Bailing Hay .53708
Bakeries .6377
Baking .6068
Ball Bearings .62223
Balloons, Barrage .7347
Bandidos .32911
Bands (Swing), Dance Orchestras .9166
Bands, Brass .9167
Banks, Business, Office, Stockrooms .585
Barbershop .6488
Barclay, President of Liberia, State Visit .962284
Barges .5233
Barges, Coal Loading Operations .52342
Barges, Houseboats .443
Barges, Loading and Unloading .5234
Barges, Ore Loading Operations .52344
Barley .5351
Barns .157
Barns in Disrepair .15715
Barns, Tobacco .537508
Barracks .7307
Barrage Balloons .7347
Bars, Saloons, Night Clubs .9067
Baseball .933
Bathing Beaches .9085
Bayonet Drill .7335
Beaches, Bathing .9085
Beans .5318
Beauty Parlors .64882
Bedding, Mattresses .61175
Bee Keeping .54817
Beef Cattle .544
Bellows .96232
Bells .9623
Berries .533
Beverages, Alcoholic, Wine .6083
Bible Class, Sunday School .851
Bicycling [and motorcycling] .9237
Birdhouse .9621
Blacksmiths .64632
Blasting, Mucking, Drilling .57303
Blind, Aid to the .68486
Blood Donors .7636
Blood Plasma .616886
Boating, Sailing .9253
Boats, Early Stages of .62662
Boats, Ferry .5237
Boats, Fishermen .561
Boats, Flying .737145
Boats, Grain Loading Operations .52346
Boats, Outfitting of .62673
Boats, Prefabrication of .626615
Boats, Small .6267
Boats, Tow .5232
Bomber, B-17 .62733
Bomber, B-19 .627332
Bombers .73716
Bombers, Attack Scout Dive .73717
Bookstores .6423
Boom towns .2544
Booming Operations .55385
Boot Making .60945
Bottling, Packaging, Etc. .6293
Boy Scouts .3781
Boy Scouts .76263
Boys, Older .364
Boys, Underprivileged .3642
Branding Cattle .5443
Branding, Horses and Roundup .54801
Brass Bands .9167
Bread, Flour Mills .6063
Breaking and Cleaning Plants .5726
Breeding .5413
Breeding and Training Farm for Horses .54804
Bridges .182
Bridges .5933
Bridges, Tunnels, Tracks, Etc. .52158
Bridgeton, New Jersey .68333
Brokers, Grain .630704
Brush Fires, Grass Fires .1685
Building Materials .5945
Building Trades .5971
Buildings .213
Buildings .2182
Buildings .256
Buildings .5431
Buildings and Farmyards .156
Buildings, Abandoned .2563
Buildings, Church .842
Buildings, College, University .866
Buildings, Farm and Grounds .597
Buildings, Miscellaneous .2187
Buildings, School .3751
Bunkhouses, Dormitories .4445
Burlesque, Show Business, Theater .914
Burpee and Co., Seed Dealers, Philadelphia .630723
Bus Garages, Repairs .51537
Bus Terminals .5153
Bus and Truck Drivers .329132
Business, Door to Door Selling .6452
Business, Mobile Ice Cream .64516
Business: Banks, Office, Stockrooms .585
Buses .515
Buses, Passengers .51525
Buses, School .3752
Buses, Waiting and Boarding .51528
Butter .542
Butter .6044
Topic Classification Number
Cabbages .53144
Cables and Wire .62153
Cafeterias and School Lunches .37675
Caldwell, Idaho, FSA Camp .68333
California, Arvin .68332
California, Calipatria .68333
California, Farmersville .683337
California, Firebaugh .68334
California, Shafter .683376
California, Sonoma .68338
California, Vallejo .683823
California, Visalia .683385
California, Westley .68339
California, Woodville .682519
California, Yuba City .683394
Calipatria, California .68333 [Note: Same number used for Bridgeton, New Jersey and Caldwell, Idaho]
Calisthenics, Physical Training .9348
Calves .54134
Camouflage .73823
Camp (FSA), Caldwell, Idaho .68333[Note: Same number used for Calipatria, CA; Bridgeton, N.J.]
Camp, Mobile Unit .68336
Camp, Tie Cutting .555
Camps .446
Camps, Arrival .76474
Camps, Evacuation for American-Japanese .7647
Camps, Farm Labor, Migratory .683
Camps, Farm Security Administration .6833
Camps, Induction, Basic Training .73
Camps, Lumber and Lumberjacks .553
Camps, Migratory Workers' .4407
Camps, View of .7302
Campus Life .8662
Canada, except Maritime Canadians, French .329152
Canals, Locks .183
Canning .6053
Canning Centers, Community .45315
Canning and Preserving .453
Canteen, Base .76038
Canyons, Caves .146
Capsule Preparations .616883
Car Barns, Terminals .5167
Car Pooling .5106
Carbon Black .61783
Card Games .9367
Caretakers, Janitors, Etc. .6586
Carnival, Midway, Amusement Park .9086
Carnivals, Fairs, Etc. .3877
Carnivals, Festivals, Pageants .912
Carnivals, Youths .3186
Carpentry .5974
Carpentry, Log Houses .5963
Carriages and Wagons .6251
Carriers, Handling Planes on .7374
Carrots .53162
Cars (Scout). Calvary (Mechanized) .73515
Cars, Migrants' .5133
Casting Steel .6206
Catholic Services .8436
Cats .9632
Cattle, Beef .544
Cattle, Branding .5443
Cattle, Care of Disease .5447
Cattle, Dairy .5412
Cattle, Herding .5444
Cattle, Marketing and Shipping .5448
Cattle, Shipping and Marketing .5448
Cauliflowers .53145
Cavalry (Mechanized), Cars (Scout), Etc. .73515
Calvary, Motorized Troops, Tanks .735
Caves, Canyons .146
Caves, Ruins, Archeology .1486
Celery .53146
Cellars, Storm .4173
Cement, Clay, Glass, Stone .619
Cemeteries .2315
Cemeteries .278
Ceremonies .901
Ceremonies, Processions .853
Ceremonies, Schools, Assemblies .3762
Chandlery, Ship .64074
Cheese .6045
Chemical Industry .615
Chemical Warfare .7356
Chicago Union Station .520322
Chickens, Poultry .543
Child Care and Health .377
Children .36
Children at Home .371
Children Doing Farm Work .3744
Children in the City .373
Children in the Country .372
Children Reading .3795
Children with Adults .361
Children with Animals .368
Children and Infants .362
Children, Activities of .37
Children, at Play .385
Children, Dancing .383
Children, Day Care .3767
Children, Eating .3715
Children, Games .387
Children, Groups .366
Children, in Slums .3673
Children, in Street and Undesirable Places .3855
Children, Making Things .382
Children, Migrant .3675
Children, Miners' .3676
Children, Music .384
Children, Oriental .36657
Children, Spanish-American .366582
Children, Spanish-American .3614
Children (with adults), Underprivileged .3612
Children, Underprivileged .367
Children (young), Underprivileged .3632
Children, Washing, Dressing .3713
Children, with Toys .386
Children, Work, Chores .374
Children, Young .363
Chipping, Cutting, Welding, Riveting .626626
Choppers, Cotton, and Pickers .537208
Chores, Work, for Children .374
Chrome .57195
Chromite .5731
Chromium .6214
Chuckwagons and Covered Wagons .4423
Church Buildings .842
Church Furniture .8423
Church Suppers and Picnics .9026
Church, Going To and Leaving .846
Church, Negro Services .8438
Church, Suppers and Picnics .9026
Churches, Details .8422
Topic Classification Number
Cigarette Rolling, Tobacco .9634
Cigars .62868
Circus .9135
Cities [both a general and a specific cateogory. See also names of cities and things that occur in cities, such as Streets, Industrial Sections, Parking, and Traffic. Cities class numbers encompass .2-.23] .2
Cities, Overall Views .21
Citizens' Organizations, Mass Meetings .67363
Citizenship Training, Immigration .6778
Citrus Fruit .60515
Citrus Fruits .53449
City Children Doing Farm Work .3744
City Streets .5928
City, Children .373
Civil Air Patrol .7603
Civil Disturbances .69
Civilian Activities .7598
Civilian Conservation Corps, Etc. .6826
Civilian Defense .76
Class, Sunday Schools, Bible .851
Classes .8665
Clay, Glass, Stone, Cement .619
Cleaning and Breaking Plants .5726
Cleaning, Washing Dishes, Etc. .456
Cleanliness, Personal .448
Clergy .848
Clergy, Parochial Duties of the .847
Clinic .818
Clothes, Accessories .3296
Clothes, Accessories .3396
Clothing Industry .6114
Clothing, Shoes .638
Clouds .1771
Coal .572
Coal Barges, Loading Operations .52342
Coal Yards .63059
Coal, Petroleum Refining .617
Coast Guard .6747
Cock Fighting .93925
Coffee .5377
Coffee-Mill .96345
Coke .6179
Collections, Hobbies .434
College, University Buildings .866
Combines .53584
Comics, War in Advertising, Etc. .7661
Commerce and Industry Exhibits .9112
Commercialized Farms .155
Communication .655
Communication, Signal Corp .7377
Communities, FSA Planned .682
Community Canning Centers .45315
Commuters .518
Company Towns .254
Company and Plantation Housing .2588
Company and Plantation Stores .6356
Competition, Contests .9029
Concretework .59343
Conductors, Motormen .5165
Conference International Labor Office .96356
Conservation .1738
Conservation, Civilian Corps, Etc. .6826
Conservation, Wildlife .17556
Construction .212
Construction Projects .595
Construction of Small Houses .596
Construction, Lock and Dams .5934
Construction, Oil Pipe Line .5938
Construction, Rammed Earth .59625
Construction, Road .592
Consumers, Utah .25273
Container, Paper .6136
Contests .3873
Contests, Competition .9029
Conventions .9022
Cooking and Eating Outdoors .4528
Cooks, Waiters, Etc. .647
Cooperative Stores .636
Cooperatives .6827
Copper [processing and manufacturing] .6215
Copper [mining] .573
Corn .5353
Corn (Kaffir), Grass (Sudan), Etc. .53718
Corn Cribs, Storage .53539
Cotton .5372
Cotton [processing/manufacturing] .6111
Cotton Choppers and Pickers .537208
Cotton Dealers .63073
Cotton, Bringing in from the Field .537209
Cotton, Cultivating .537202
Cotton, Ginning and Processing .6107
Cotton, Picking .537206
Cotton, Planting .537201
Cotton, Storage .537214
Cotton, Transporting to Gin or Market .537211
Cotton, Weighing and Recording .53721
Cottonseed Oil .60763
Country, Children .372
Courtship, Flirtation, Love-Making .896
Cow Hands, Cowboys .5445
Cowboys .32912
Cowboys, Cow Hands .5445
Crabs, Oysters, Etc. .565
Crafts and Arts, Decorative Arts .886
Crafts, Textile, Sewing, Weaving .4628
Cranberries .5332
Cranberry, Migrant Pickers .37426
Cranes .62606
Creative Activity .38
Creosoting, Treating, Etc. .61255
Crime, Prostitution, Prohibitionism, Dissipation .94
Crops .531
Crowds, People .3
Crowds, Refreshments .9116
Cultivating .53532
Cultivating Cotton .537202
Cultivating Tobacco .537502
Curios, Antiques .6427
Customer Conveniences [supposed to occur in D (Northeast), but does not appear there] .6435
Cutting, Welding, Riveting, Chipping .626626
Topic Classification Number
Dairy Cattle .5412
Dairy Farms .541
Dairy Products and Eggs .604
Dairy Products, Milk, Other .6546
Dams .181
Dams and Lock Construction .5934
Dams, Bridges .181-182
Dams, Reservoirs, Stock Water .53075
Dams, Stock Water, and Other Water Controls .59345
Dance Orchestras, Swing Bands .9166
Dancing .905
Dancing, Children .383
Dancing, Square .9054
Day Care for Children of War Workers .3767
Dealers, Wholesale .6307
Decorations, Licenses, Details .5104
Decorative Objects, Details .4255
Defense, Civilian .76
Deforestation .173
Dehydration of Food .6015
Demolition, House Wrecking .5985
Demonstration .67251
Dentistry .82
Department Stores .632
Desert .15
Deserted Towns .264
Development and Land Use .68253
Developments, Real Estate .234
Developments, Real Estate .2576
Diners, Lunch Rooms .9064
Dining Rooms, Institutional .90643
Dinner, Today' Storage is Tomorrow's .45335
Diplomatic Corps .6773
Disease, Care of Cattle .5447
Diseases, Protecting Against .531704
Displays, Window .6312
Disturbances, Civil .69
Docks, Waterfronts .227
Dog Kennels .54815
Dogs .9637
Dolls .96378
Domestic Skills and Manual Training .3763
Donkeys, Horses .5056
Donkeys, Horses, Mules .548
Doors, Screen, and Windows .59687
Doors, Windows .59685
Dormitories, Bunkhouses .4445
Dormitories, Hotels, Rooming Houses .444
Downtown Streets .211
Draft Board, Recruiting .729
Dressing, Washing, Children .3713
Drill .7304
Drill, Air Raid .761
Drilling for Oil .5762
Drilling, Blasting, Mucking .57303
Drilling, Well .59707
Drink Bars (Soft), Refreshment Stands .9065
Drinking Water .90666
Drinking and Eating .37554
Divers, Dispatchers, Etc. .51536
Drought Conditions .166
Drug Stores .634
Drug Stores, Pharmacies .826
Dude Ranches .9075
Dugouts .417
Dust Storms .167
Topic Classification Number
Early Stages of Boats .62662
Earth Moving, Land Clearing .5913
Eating .454
Eating By Children .3715
Eating Places, Hotels, Restaurants .906
Eating and Cooking Outdoors .4528
Eating and Drinking .37554
Economic Administration .675
Editorial Work .8798
Education .865
Education Opportunities Tour .8686
Education, Adult .868
Education, Health .37589
Education, Records, Press, Art, Science .86
Effigy .964
Egg Shell, Victory in an .54305
Eggs .5436
Eggs and Dairy Products .604
Elections, Voting .6732
Electric Appliances .6235
Electric Machinery .6227
Electrical Work .6274
Electricity .651
Electrification, Rural Administration .68264
Elevated Trains and Subways .517
Elevators, Grain .6305
Elizabeth Kenny Institute .8169
Emergency Aid in Disasters .686
Employment .666
Enemy Exhibit, Nature of the, May 1943 .766068
Engineering .59
Engineering Equipment .6224
Engineers .738
Engines, Aircraft .6275
Engines, Ship .62265
Engines, Studying Ship .736344
Entertainment .748 [Listed in the alphabetical list, but not in the hierarchical list; probably never used]
Entertainment, USO, Etc. .7418
Erosion .165
Estates, Suburban .2337
Evacuation Camps, Japanese-Americans .7647
Events, Youth .318
Evictions and Sharecroppers .4408
Exchange .6456
Executives .5855
Exhibit [Today's Storage] .45335
Exhibit Faces of America .964277
Exhibit Image of America .964273
Exhibit Road to Victory .964276
Exhibit San Diego, 1936 .96422
Exhibit and Display Technique .86983
Exhibit on Negroes .681805
Exhibit, American-Soviet War, June 1943 .76607
Exhibit, Nature of the Enemy, May 1943 .766068
Exhibit, United Nations, 1943 .766065
Exhibit: South Louisiana State Fair .946273
Exhibits, Commerce and Industry .9112
Exhibits, FSA .6818
Experimental Panel, Edwin Rosskam .96764
Express Handling .5209
Express and Freight Handling .521
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